After
intensive study of various swordfighting and jujutsu styles, Morihei
Ueshiba became famous as one of the strongest men of Japan. In 1919, he
turned towards the spiritual, pacifistic teachings of the Omoto
religion and started to develop the Art of Peace. In 1942, in the midst
of the chaos of World War II, O-Sensi named his new martial art Aikido.
He moved to the small country town of Iwama, where he continued to
practice, teach and refine Aikido until he passed away in 1969.

An Iwama native, Morihiro Saito started training in Aikido in 1946 and
became not only a student, but a close confidant of O-Sensei for during
the following 23 years. After the founder's passing, Morihio Saito was
put in charge of the Iwama dojo and became the guardian of the
Aiki-shrine. Today, he is also known for his books, his clear and
structured way of teaching, and the organization of the huge number of
techniques that comprise Iwama-Ryu Aikido.

Moriteru
Ueshiba Sensei was born in Tokyo, the son of the second Aikido Doshu,
Kisshomaru Ueshiba Sensei. He is the grandson of Morihei Ueshiba
Sensei, the founder of Aikido. Moriteru Sensei assumed the title of
doshu on January 4, 1999 following the death of his father, Kisshomaru
Ueshiba. He assumed direction of Aikikai Honbu in 1986 and in 1996
became chairman of the Aikikai foundation.

Hitohiro
Saito Sensei was born in Iwama, the son of the late Morihiro Saito
Shihan Aikikai Shihan 9th Dan. Hitohiro Sensei was born into this great
Aikido tradition and started training when he was seven under O'Sensei.
He continued training under his father (Saito Sensei). Now, Hitohiro
Sensi runs the dojo that he has founded, the Iwama Shin Shin Aiki
Shurenkai.

Pat Hendricks started studying Aikido in 1974 with Stan Pranin and Mary
Heiny. In 1976 she moved to Iwama, Japan, to study with Saito Sensei.
For the next 30 years, she returned to Japan over 25 times, of which
six years were as an uchi-deshi. She holds a Menkyo Kaiden (license of
total transmission) in weapons certification from Saito Sensei. In
2014, Hendricks Sensei was awarded 7th dan and Shihan status by Aikikai
Hombu dojo.

Hendricks Shihan is the Division 1 Head of
the CAA (California Aikido Association). Her own dojo, Aikido of
San Leandro, attracts students from all over the world.

Hendricks Sensei provides an autobiographical account of her introduction to Aikido:

I
started studying Aikido in June of 1974 while a student at Monterey
Peninsula College in Monterey, California. I had been interested in
studying a martial art and found a course in Aikido being offered that
semester. The instructor was Mary Heiny who was a Sandan at that time
and had recently returned from studying in Japan.

It
was during that semester of study that I heard about Stan Pranin who
was teaching Aikido to a small group of students in his garage in
Monterey. I studied with Stan Pranin until 1977 when we both moved to
Oakland to study first with Bruce Klickstein and then with Bill Witt
Sensei.

Later that same year I
moved to Iwama, Japan, where I became uchideshi and a student of Saito
Sensei. I returned to Oakland in 1979 and continued studying with Bruce
Klickstein Sensei.

Over the next
28 years I returned regularly to Iwama for brief and long term periods
of study with Saito Sensei. During this time I also earned my degree in
Oriental Languages (with emphasis in Japanese) from U.C. Berkeley.

In
1984 I founded the Aikido of San Leandro dojo. In 1988 I embarked on a
6 month European tour, combining travel and teaching, before once again
returning to Iwama for study as a long-term uchi-deshi.

I
returned to Oakland and to my dojo in 1990. In 1992, at the All-Japan
Demonstration in Tokyo, I was very honored to have been the sole uke
for Saito Sensei's demonstration. I believe it was the first time for a
Caucasian, certainly for a female aikido-ka, to have participated as
uke for such a high-ranking teacher at such a high profile event.